can i fork it?
🛠️ dev tools

Kong costs $25/mo.
These cost $0.

6 free alternatives to Kong, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.

⚡ Quick Verdict · 2027 Guide

The top-rated free, open-source replacement for Kong is Apache APISIX (Open Source Open Source). Across this category, 2 self-hostable tools are available (including Apache APISIX and Tyk). Switching a 5-person team saves up to $1,500/year compared to Kong's $25/mo subscription.

The catch: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Kong.

See the 6 picks ↓

Kong vs Free Alternatives

Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $25/mo

AlternativeTypeLicenseWhere It RunsStarsHead-to-Head
Apache APISIXopen sourceOpen SourceSelf-host★ 17.3kKong vs Apache APISIX →
Tykopen sourceOpen SourceSelf-host★ 10.9kKong vs Tyk →
UnKeyopen sourceOpen SourceLocal★ 5.5kKong vs UnKey →
Krakendopen sourceOpen SourceLocal★ 2.7kKong vs Krakend →
Graviteeopen sourceOpen SourceLocal★ 469Kong vs Gravitee →
Orbitalopen sourceOpen SourceLocal★ 361Kong vs Orbital →

The picks

6 open source · ranked by fit

  1. 01

    Apache APISIX

    open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host
    17.3knov 2026

    Apache APISIX is an open-source API gateway built on NGINX and etcd, offering dynamic routing, 100+ plugins, load balancing, authentication, and traffic management for APIs and LLM workloads.

    The catch vs Kong

    Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Kong.

    Install, platforms & data +
    platforms
    webself-hosteddocker to self-host
    install
    Clone https://github.com/apache/apisix or deploy with Docker Compose
    setup
    Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
    your data
    All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
    checked
    2026-11-07
    Visit apisix.apache.org ↗SourceCompare vs Kong →also replaces 3 other apps →
  2. 02

    Tyk

    open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host
    10.9knov 2026

    Fast, scalable API management platform with open source gateway, analytics, dev portal and dashboard. Deploy anywhere with AI-ready governance and security.

    The catch vs Kong

    Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Kong.

    Install, platforms & data +
    platforms
    webself-hosteddocker to self-host
    install
    Clone https://github.com/tyktechnologies/tyk or deploy with Docker Compose
    setup
    Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
    your data
    All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
    checked
    2026-11-07
    Visit tyk.io ↗SourceCompare vs Kong →also replaces 3 other apps →
  3. 03

    UnKey

    open sourceOpen SourceLocal
    5.5knov 2026

    Streamline API authentication with UnKey's powerful, developer-friendly platform for creating, revoking, and monitoring API keys.

    The catch vs Kong

    Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.

    Install, platforms & data +
    platforms
    desktopcross-platformone-click install
    install
    Clone https://github.com/unkeyed/unkey or deploy with Docker Compose
    setup
    Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
    your data
    All application data lives locally on your own machine.
    checked
    2026-11-07
    Visit unkey.com ↗SourceCompare vs Kong →also replaces 4 other apps →
  4. 04

    Krakend

    open sourceOpen SourceLocal
    2.7knov 2026

    High-performance, stateless API gateway built for microservices. Handle 80K+ requests/second with transparent pricing and enterprise-grade reliability.

    The catch vs Kong

    Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.

    Install, platforms & data +
    platforms
    desktopcross-platformone-click install
    install
    Clone https://github.com/krakend/krakend-ce or deploy with Docker Compose
    setup
    Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
    your data
    All application data lives locally on your own machine.
    checked
    2026-11-07
    Visit krakend.io ↗SourceCompare vs Kong →also replaces 3 other apps →
  5. 05

    Gravitee

    open sourceOpen SourceLocal
    469nov 2026

    Full-lifecycle API management platform that unifies synchronous and asynchronous ecosystems. Manage APIs, event streams, and AI agents with enterprise security and 4x faster gateway performance.

    The catch vs Kong

    Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.

    Install, platforms & data +
    platforms
    desktopcross-platformone-click install
    install
    Clone https://github.com/gravitee-io/gravitee-api-management or deploy with Docker Compose
    setup
    Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
    your data
    All application data lives locally on your own machine.
    checked
    2026-11-07
    Visit gravitee.io ↗SourceCompare vs Kong →also replaces 4 other apps →
  6. 06

    Orbital

    open sourceOpen SourceLocal
    361nov 2026

    Automated data integration platform that connects APIs, databases, and event streams using semantic schemas. Deploy secure integrations in minutes with Git-based workflows.

    The catch vs Kong

    Community-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.

    Install, platforms & data +
    platforms
    desktopcross-platformone-click install
    install
    Clone https://github.com/orbitalapi/orbital or deploy with Docker Compose
    setup
    Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
    your data
    All application data lives locally on your own machine.
    checked
    2026-11-07
    Visit orbitalhq.com ↗SourceCompare vs Kong →also replaces 1 other app →

Kong Head-to-Head Comparisons (2027)

Side-by-side trade-off breakdowns · 6 free alternatives

vs
Kong vs Apache APISIXOpen Source · Self-host →
vs
Kong vs TykOpen Source · Self-host →
vs
Kong vs UnKeyOpen Source · Local →
vs
Kong vs KrakendOpen Source · Local →
vs
Kong vs GraviteeOpen Source · Local →
vs
Kong vs OrbitalOpen Source · Local →

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers · Kong open-source replacements

What is the best free alternative to Kong?+

The top free alternative to Kong is Apache APISIX (open source, Open Source). Apache APISIX is an open-source API gateway built on NGINX and etcd, offering dynamic routing, 100+ plugins, load balancing, authentication, and traffic management for APIs and LLM workloads. Other popular Kong replacements include Tyk, UnKey, Krakend.

Can I self-host a free replacement for Kong?+

Yes. Of the 6 free alternatives to Kong, 2 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Apache APISIX (Open Source), Tyk (Open Source).

How much does switching from Kong to a free alternative save?+

Kong starts at $25/month per seat ($300/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Apache APISIX saves $1,500 per year in software subscription fees.

Should I vibe-code or build my own Kong clone from scratch?+

Our build verdict for Kong is NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens). Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Kong or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 6 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Apache APISIX.

What is the catch when switching from Kong to Apache APISIX?+

Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Kong.

More in dev tools

all dev tools →
AdaL$20/mo → 3 freeAight$4.99/mo → 3 freeAlgolia$50/mo → 5 freeAugment Code5 freeAzure DevOps$6/mo → 3 freeBitbucket$3.30/mo → 5 freeBito5 freeBlackbox AI5 free